Saône et Loire

Saône-et-Loire department is located in eastern France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, and its capital is the town of Mâcon. The department is part of the Burgundy wine region (especially the Mâconnais and Chalonnais areas), and is also home to the historic Cluny Abbey, one of the most important religious centers of medieval Europe. Its economy combines agriculture and winemaking, small industries and historical tourism. The cost of living in the department is moderate and calm, and it is about an hour and a half from Paris and half an hour from Lyon by high-speed train.

Mâcon, Chalon-sur-Saône, Le Creusot

• IUT de Chalon-sur-Saône – Université de Bourgogne - An IUT (university institute of technology) with programs in technology, engineering and management.
• Campus universitaire de Mâcon (Université de Bourgogne / Lyon) - Some joint bachelor's/master's level programs and courses.

The towns in this department are mostly medium-sized or small, and the overall atmosphere is calm. Some parts of Chalon-sur-Saône and Le Creusot have busier working-class neighborhoods, but with normal precautions, the department is suitable for student and family life.

Mâcon and Chalon-sur-Saône have TER/TGV stations connecting to Lyon, Dijon and Paris. Cities have urban bus networks, and regional Bourgogne-Franche-Comté buses operate at the department level.